Kingdom Keepers III(40)

“I’m good here,” she said.

“No…I think it would be safer with you on the seat. I can stand on the pedals.”

A moment later, rearranged on the bike, they were heading down the sidewalk, shouting at students to get out of their way. Amanda tried to steady herself by gripping the saddle, but gave up after a block and placed her hands on Finn’s hips. He stopped pedaling, allowing the bike to glide, then drew a deep breath and continued riding. Five minutes stretched to ten. She talked to pass the time.

“When she was crossed over, she walked around the park. It was nighttime, of course, and there wasn’t anyone around for the most part. She saw some movement across the lake, and she hid out of sight. She said it was kind of creepy, being there all alone.”

“I’ll bet it was. The Magic Kingdom’s the same way.”

“She felt drawn to certain attractions. But that’s how she is: all sorts of stuff happens to her and a lot of it can’t be explained.”

“How did she cross back?”

“I have no idea.”

“What time was it?”

“She woke up in bed, just before midnight.”

“That was us,” Finn said. “That was when Philby and I and the others crossed back. We met up in the apartment. But it doesn’t make sense that she crossed over. We always have to be together for that to happen.”

“But she was in one of her dreams right then. Maybe that had something to do with it. One minute she was walking past France, the next she was in her bunk. But she had the picture in her head. A perfect picture of Wayne—the same dream she had before, only this time it was all there. At least she thinks it’s everything.”

Finn glided to a stop in front of The Frozen Marble ice cream shop. Philby was waiting at a table inside with a strawberry concoction in front of him. It occurred to Finn that he’d never seen any of the DHIs’ houses except Maybeck’s, not counting the church Amanda and Jess had squatted in for a few months. He had no idea how or even where some of his closest friends lived.

“Hey,” Philby said.

“Hey,” said Finn.

“Hey,” said Amanda.

She went to the counter and ordered a mocha mini with graham crackers, M&M’s, and chocolate syrup, and returned with two spoons, handing one to Finn. He regarded the spoon carefully. Sharing an ice cream was something he’d never done with a girl. It felt to him like some kind of contract, some kind of commitment, and he was leery of entering into it too quickly.

“Don’t worry, my spoon won’t touch your side,” she said in an openly mocking tone.

Philby arched his eyebrows and kept his mouth occupied with his strawberry whatever.

“I didn’t say anything,” Finn said.

“Eat,” she said.

He stabbed into the ice cream recklessly, took a spoonful, and hummed as the combination hit his taste buds.

“Whoa!” he said.

“Yeah,” said Amanda. “I thought you’d like it.”

“Double whoa,” he said, winning a chocolate smile from her.

“It’s a cryptogram,” Philby said. He pushed a photocopy from the page in Jess’s diary in front of Finn. It showed an old guy that looked surprisingly like Wayne sitting in a chair. On the wall behind him was the image of a horse, a pole, and in the distance, a mountain and some trees. Across it all was written a string of letters and numbers.

MKPFP IFP TDIEPR VKPFP RMIFR CQW’M JFQV HT 2736/2730

“What the…?” Finn said. “It’s a kind of code,” Philby explained. “He is always doing this,” Finn complained. “Why is nothing ever simple with him?”

“He’s secretive,” Philby answered. “It’s like the Stonecutter’s Quill, only different.”

“Different, how?”

“That was an anagram. This, clearly, is not.”

“None of this is exactly clear to me,” Finn admitted.

“He expects us to break it.”

“But how?” Amanda said.

“Are we sure this is right?” Finn said, puzzling over the combination.

“Jess’s dreams are accurate. You know that, Finn. Remember the Animal Kingdom?”

“I know, but that was animals. This is…I don’t know what it is! Gibberish?”

“Not exactly gibberish,” Philby said. “Though it won’t be simple to figure out. He’s left us a few clues.”

“More than this?” Finn asked.

“Within this,” Philby answered.

“Clues within clues?”

“Exactly.”

“He’s either way too smart, or way too crazy,” Finn said.